Tours of Israel, 6 Days Israel tour from Eilat

'I am glad I shall never be young without a wild country to be young in;
of what avail are forty freedoms, without a blank spot on the map?'

{related Eilat Jeep Tours|Jerusalem Sightseeing Tour|Galilee and Golan Tours}

Sea  of the Galilee: Israel tours

Day 1:
Setting out from Eilat we drive along the Arava Valley towards the Dead Sea and Masada. Passing through the area of Sodom notorious in the bible for its sinful occupants. We see it's salt pillars and the unusual salt rock formations found in this stark desert environment, including one that is locally called 'Lot's Wife'. From here it's a short drive to the imposing cliffs overlooking the Dead Sea. On the edge of these massive cliffs King Herod constructed his mighty desert fortress of Masada. This fortress is famous worldwide for its tragic role in the war between the powerful Roman army and the steadfast Jewish resistance. The war resulted in the mass-suicide of the Jewish rebels who preferred death over slavery. Masada remains one of the most important historic sites in Israel. We ascend the mountain by cable-car and tour it's impressive ruins and incredible views of the Dead Sea. We leave Masada and head down to the Dead Sea itself. The healing powers of the water and mineral rich mud have attracted visitors here for literally thousands of years. Here we enjoy the rejuvenating qualities of natures richest spa before continuing our journey along the winding road that will lead us up to Jerusalem. We check into our hotel and enjoy our evening meal.
Day 2:
We begin our day on the renowned Mount of Olives, it's central position and views over Jerusalem make it the ideal place for a comprehensive introduction to Jerusalem and helps us to understand many of the major historic events that took place here. Following an important briefing on the day ahead we begin our tour of this incredible city. We enter the old city via the Dung Gate which is adjacent to the Temple Mount. Our first stop is at the Western Wall; traditionally the visitors who pray here leave small notes between the stones of the wall asking for blessings. We then ascend the Temple Mount, where we see Jerusalem's golden dome -The Dome of the Rock. A short walk through the Arabian Suq (market) takes us to the Via Dolorosa - 'The Way of the Cross', we follow the Stations of the Cross in Jesus final footsteps, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Within this massive church are the final five stations including the Hill of Calvary and the tomb of Jesus. Depending on the participants preferences we take in more sites of the old city before a short tour to of modern Jerusalem. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 3:
Early morning we are back on tour and heading to the Mediterranean Sea where we visit the highlights of the ancient city of Jaffa and then onto modern Tel Aviv. We continue along the coast of the Mediterranean to Caesarea Maritima, once the Roman capital of Judea and today Israel's very best example of a Roman city. From here it's up to the Carmel Mountains, overlooking Haifa and onto the city of Akko (Acre). Akko is an ancient town that was fortified by the crusaders and under the citadel archeologists have uncovered the "Knights Halls" a complex of halls including a dungeon used by the Templar Knights who provided protection to Pilgrims during unsafe times. We can also see the impressive port which they constructed here. From here we drive to Tiberias in the Galilee, where we spend 2 nights.

Massada and Dead Sea: Tours in Israel

Day 4:
Today we visit the Sea of Galilee and the and towns whose names are so familiar to us including Capernaum, home to disciples Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew. It is here that Jesus spent much of his time and gave lessons in the synagogue. We visit the Mount of the Beatitudes where The Sermon on the Mount was conducted. We tour the ruins of the ancient church of Tabgha where an ancient mosaic represents the miracle of the bread and fish. We take this special opportunity to enjoy a short sail on the sea in a fishing boat similar to the ones used in ancient times.. In the afternoon we make a short drive along the Golan Heights, and end the day at the River Jordan.
Day 5:
In the morning we drive to Nazareth, where we tour the Basilica of the Annunciation, the Greek-Orthodox St. Raphael church and Mary's Well. We continue to Mt. Tabor with its Church of the Transfiguration. Here Jesus led his favored apostles (Peter, John and James) to the mountain top and revealed to them his glory. After descending the mount, we travel to Megiddo, (Armageddon - Book of Revelations). From here we head south to the land of prophets - the desert. We spend the night in the Northern Negev.
Day 6:
Today we experience the unique spiritually that the desert scenery inspires. Heading into the depths of the Negev we visit en route the resting place of David Ben-Gurion which overlooks the Zin Valley (the Negev's largest dry riverbed -Wadi). From here a short drive takes us to the desert oasis of Ein Avdat, where we enjoy a short hike. We continue to the ancient Nabatean city of Avdat, once a bustling town serving the many merchant caravans coming from the East via Petra to Europe. It is steeped in history and is a world heritage site. We also tour at the famous Ramon Crater, the Negev's main attraction - it is an impressive geological phenomenon and boasts exceptional desert scenery. Returning by evening to Eilat for tour completion

The Negev desert jeep tours

{related Israel Nature Culture Jeep Tour |Petra Tours: All Options|Israel Hiking Tour- 11 Days}

All Israel tours: List

Tours of the Negev Desert

Tours of the Judean Desert

Tours from Eilat

For Christian tours in Israel

The Monasteries of the Judean desert from Jerusalem